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Complete a workforce survey for the future of the midwifery profession
Invitations have been sent out to all midwives and midwifery students to participate in a workforce survey. The results of the survey will inform the current state of Australia’s midwifery workforce as well as influence future strategies to address common challenges and improve the health outcomes for women, babies and families. We encourage all midwives and midwifery students to participate in this important survey.
Survey for midwives
Survey for midwifery students
The surveys will remain open until 24 December 2023.
In 2021, over 311,000 mothers gave birth to more than 315,000 babies in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). Almost every one of these births was attended by a midwife. The Australian midwifery workforce provides high quality, safe care during a person’s pregnancy, labour and birth and the postpartum period. Maintaining sufficient numbers, diversity, and quality in the midwifery workforce is crucial to the ongoing provision of safe and effective maternity care. Midwifery Futures will provide a snapshot of the Australian midwifery workforce and identify opportunities to strengthen and grow the profession for the future.
The Midwifery Futures project is funded by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and will work in collaboration with the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers of Australia and New Zealand (ANZCCNMO).
This project aims to review the current state of Australia’s midwifery workforce and inform strategies to support policy and regulatory change. Specific goals are to:
Project lead: Professor Caroline Homer AO
Project team: Professor Joanne Gray, Professor Kathleen Baird, Professor Jennifer Fenwick, Dr Zoe Bradfield, and Melanie Robinson.
Research officers: Dr Kirsten Small and Chanelle Warton.
This project is a collaboration between the Burnet Institute, University of Technology Sydney, and Curtin University.
The project is composed of distinct stages. These are:
The project will have an Expert Advisory Group (EAG). Membership includes the Executive Officer of the NMBA, the Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (CNMO), a CNMO nominated by ANZCCNMO, the Australian College of Midwives (ACM), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, a National Board midwife member nominated by the NMBA, the Chair of the Notification Committee: Midwifery (National), and two community members. A Working Advisory Group (WAG) will also be established to review outputs from the project as they occur and provide advice to the Project Team. Membership to include ACM, ANMF, subject matter experts, relevant midwifery policy officer/principal advisors from each jurisdiction and at least two consumers.
In addition, there will be two further key advisory groups: